The Fire That Burnt The Leaf
by DarkSolstice
Summary: REDONE. Three strange siblings have arrived in the village to take part in the Chuunin Exams. They dont say exactly who they are, or why they were sent there, but the mysterious air about them sends out the wrong messages to the wrong people. What secrets are they keeping? And will they turn out good or bad for the exams?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: okay so i decided to redo this story. after 4 years on hiatus im back and ready to work for everyone. this time i decided to go back and redo what i believe i messed up on, so forgive me if anything isnt what you remembered. if theres anything you guys want me to put back, change or add shoot me a mail or post a review and ill hop to it as soon as i can**

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"The chuunin exams are an important part of every ninja's life. These exams determine whether or not you shall become a ninja." An old man said to a class full of students.

One decided to call out, "Yeah ok. And they do that how? Don't you get left back or something if you fail them?"

The old man chuckled at the boys' ignorance. "You're half right Naruto. You can fail the exams and still become a ninja."

"How's that?" Naruto blurted out again.

"Naruto! Stop getting on the Hokage's nerves!" his pink haired companion shouted.

The Hokage burst out in laughter. "I can't imagine what your kids would be like Sakura."

Sakura screamed in disbelief and nearly passed out, her head hitting the desk with a loud thud. The students around her giggled and began whispering to each other.

"Now now settle down!" The Hokage waved his hands for silence. "There is one more thing for you all to hear."

All eyes were on him.

"We have some new students."

They all began looking around. The Hokage laughed again. "Outside in the courtyard."

Once out in the courtyard, nobody saw anything but a bunch of Sensei's. They were in deep conversation and didn't notice when the large group of students walked up, until the Hokage was kind enough to clear his throat. They all looked back and parted to reveal three kids, triplets, a girl and two boys. There was a wild look about them, and that guess became a theory by the spiked collar around the girl's neck.

"Wow," Kiba commented. "They sure look. . . _human._"

The three looked at him, then scanned the crowd until their eyes rested upon Shino. The girl nodded at him.

The Hokage looked back and forth between them. "I take it you're already acquainted then?"

Shino nodded.

"Aren't you going to introduce us then?" Choji asked.

Shino nodded and coughed. "That's Raven, and her brothers Sasuke and Dave." They nodded in turn.

The three of them all wore dark clothing. The only difference was Raven's baggy black sweater and her collar. Her black hair had red streaks running through them. Sasuke and Dave's hair was black too, but Sasuke had blue streaks and Dave's were green.

There was giggling behind him, and turned to see the few girls talking together in hushed voices, looking at the new students, then at Naruto who was staring blindly at Raven. Shino rolled his eyes behind his glasses as the knucklehead grinned sheepishly and began yapping away.

"So where did you say you came from?" he inquired.

"That remains to be seen," came her reply. The Hokage exchanged glances with the other adults. "And you are?"

"Name's Naruto Uzumaki," he stated proudly.

Raven raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Pleasure to meet you." Her accent was thick, the Hokage guessed she came from countries away.

Naruto grinned. He could hear the others laughing in the background and turned to see why. The girls were in a small group laughing loudly.

Shino sighed and shook his head, while Kakashi merely laughed and said, "Why don't you let them adjust to the village for now."

The blonde raised an eyebrow, shrugged and turned away. Raven was whispering something inaudible to her brothers, but kept glancing at the large crowd. From the movement of her lips it was clear she was speaking in a different language. Dave must have been getting on her nerves, for she elbowed him hard in the ribs. Sasuke laughed quietly, earning himself a death glare from his brother.

Rolling her eyes at their immaturity, Raven spoke up. "Uh, thank you for welcoming us to your village," she directed to the Hokage.

"My pleasure." His voice then grew serious. "But I must warn you, watch yourselves. The Sabers of the volcano have been acting quite ruthless lately. I wouldn't want you to get caught in their grasp."

The three's eyes widened, but they blinked and nodded anyways. The Hokage beckoned for the Sensei's to follow as he turned for the Academy. At first there was an awkward silence. The students shifted uncomfortably before Ino cleared her throat to break the silence.

"So," she laughed awkwardly, attempting to speak to the brothers, "are you all here for the Chuunin exams?"

The brothers paid her no heed. They pointedly ignored the Leaf ninja and whispered quietly amongst themselves, their sister crossing her arms and eyeing Ino from a distance. Ino turned to her, cheeks flushed and grinned. "S-so are you?"

Raven nodded. Ino rubbed the back of her neck and stepped back behind her team, muttering an excuse to pull them away. "Well we'll be going now. Nice meeting you Sasuuuke. Bye Daaave."

The brothers crinkled their noses and gave the kunoichi a weird look. They took a step back, muttered a few choice words to their sister and took off into the village, the kunoichi following them like lost puppies. Raven took one look at the boys in front of her, bowed, and took off into the village.

"Man, those three are really weird," Kiba snorted. No one said anything, and Akamaru barked in agreement.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer:**i really hate having to say this, but i do not own naruto. i will post the names of my characters at the end of each chapter. PLEASE REVIEW!

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It was a beautiful day in the small village of Konoha. It had been three days exactly since the arrival of the foreign students. They got along well with the other rookies; they were even quite popular with the younger students.

Except for the three foreigners, all rookies were sitting in the shade of the trees that skirted the training grounds, along with their sensei's, lounging and gossiping like any normal kids.

"Those three are a bit weird," Kiba commented.

"Why do you say that? You don't even know them," TenTen stated.

Kiba shrugged. "Dunno. I just. . . I got a bad feeling about them. They're hiding something." Akamaru barked in agreement.

"Well then that's your opinion," TenTen said, crossing her arms.

Kiba shook his head. "No! It's their chakra-"

"What about their chakra?" Shikamaru grunted.

"It's a bit. . . Off."

Everyone turned to him. "How?"

The dog boy scratched the back of his neck. "Well, when I first met them, I thought it was just my imagination. But you guys know how Akamaru can smell a persons chakra level. Even he said it was irregular. Much more stronger than a regular humans, even stronger than yours Naruto!"

Naruto sat up from where he was lying next to Sakura. "That's impossible!"

Kiba put up his hands in a friendly gesture. "Chill dude. Just relayin' the message here. I've noticed that when they spar they let off insane amounts of chakra."

Naruto shook his head and laid down again, staring at the clouds. He popped back up again. "Hey Shino." The bug nin turned to him. "You know them better than us. Is their chakra stronger than mine?"

"Good thinking Naruto," Kakashi praised.

Shino nodded. "Well observed," he mumbled. "Just don't underestimate them. They may look like 'angels', but they have the power to take down even the hokage and the village in its whole. If provoked, I mean."

A deeper shadow fell over Naruto. He looked up to see the foreigner Raven. "Dear Shino, I do hope you are not badmouthing me. My ears will not stop ringing." She let out a small purr-like sound and jumped down from the tree, to land on all fours beside Naruto.

Choji leaned in closer to Kiba. "She's more animal-like now than day one," he whispered. The girl looked at him strangely and raised an eyebrow.

Shino sighed, ignoring his friends. "Of course not."

"Do not lie to me, I heard your whole conversation," she laughed, shifting into a sitting position in-between Naruto and Shino.

"Weird," she heard Shikamaru mutter. "How troublesome."

The sensei's began muttering to themselves. Raven, not being able to tell the difference between them all, was quite lost.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "So how do you like the village so far, Miss Raven?"

She frowned at the formal title. "It is, different. You all are so cheery."

"And your village isn't?" Kurenai asked, confused.

"No." Raven blinked and smiled sadly. "My village is not a peaceful one. We are at constant war, and from a young age my brothers and I were forced to fight in the military."

Kurenai gasped in shock. "That's terrible! Doesn't anyone do anything about that?!"

She shook her head. "We have been trained to fight to the death from the day of our birth, so it was not new to us. We are much accustomed to it, and arriving here, our father had hoped for us to live normal lives."

"Of course you can live a normal life here!" She turned to Gai. "In this village, we only fight if it's absolutely necessary. We never put anybody in harms way, even for an excuse as lame as weak military support."

Naruto nodded. "Who ever ran your village anyway, to be doing that to small children?"

The look on Raven's face was staggering. Her eyes were filled with sorrow. She looked down and began pulling out the grass. She didn't answer.

They all took that as a sign of recognition, that she wished not to answer. Shino laid his hand on her shoulder. She looked up and nodded at him.

"Her father," he said dryly.

"Your own father!" Sakura shouted from her place on the other side of Naruto. Raven nodded. "But I thought you said he sent you here?"

"He did."

"But-" Sakura began.

Kakashi clamped her mouth shut. "Maybe he finally realized his mistake and wanted to make up for it," he suggested.

'_If only.' _Raven's grassy green eyes were mere slits as she gazed at him restlessly. Gai broke the silence by getting up and stretching.

"Well, we should head out for awhile," she said. "Come on team, 50 laps around the village!"

Lee jumped up. "I believe we can do 100 laps Gai-Sensei!"

Gai beamed proudly and gave him a thumbs up. "You bet Lee! Onward team!" He shouted and ran off with Lee, Neji and TenTen sulking behind him.

"You have got to be kidding me," TenTen sulked as they walked off.

Choji sniffed. "I think. . I smell. . burgers!"

Ino sighed. "You mean you want to. Let's go then."

Choji jumped to his feet and cheered. He ran off in the direction of Gai's team, Ino racing after him, with Shikamaru and their sensei following more slowly.

Raven looked amused. Kakashi coughed uneasily. "Well look at the time. It's getting late and we need to practice come on team."

Sakura and Derrick followed without a second glance. Naruto was taken aback. He sighed and followed anyway.

Kurenai stood too. "Kiba, Hinata. Why don't we let them catch up for awhile, hmm?" The three of them left in a hurry, Shino's eyes following them.

When they were left alone Shino turned to his friend with an angry look on his face. "Why are you really here? What do you want with us?"

Raven's face was emotionless. "In time, my dear Shino, you will learn. For now, you shall remain as clueless as these other pathetic imbeciles." She stood and walked away, leaving Shino with a bad vibe.

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**CHARACTERS I OWN: 1) Raven**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

******Disclaimer:**i really hate having to say this, but i do not own naruto. i will post the names of my characters at the end of each chapter. PLEASE REVIEW!

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Konoha had always been a peaceful village. Even during warfare, it remained peaceful within village gates. Then everything began to get crazy after the newcomers. But even then, the nin and villagers tried to piece together all the broken parts of their society. Some of them became obsessive over the newcomers. They would try getting them to do some of the odd jobs around, but even the strange siblings were wise enough not to.

Naruto had been talking with a few of his friends when he noticed Raven, walking by herself through the streets, head down, hands stuffed in her pockets. He said farewell to his friends and ran over to her.

"Something wrong?" He asked. "You look a bit down."

Raven shrugged. "Your village is a confusing place."

Naruto laughed. "Are you lost?" He joked.

She smiled and shook her head. "No, no. As I said yesterday, you all are too cheery."

"Heh, yeah we're always like that." He grinned. "Come on, I'll show you around a bit. If you like."

"Sure," she nodded. He smiled and walked slowly to match the girls pace. "So is your home always like that? In constant war I mean?"

She smiled at him. "Sadly yes. My people do not take well to outsiders."

The blond shot her a confused look. "You don't like other people? How's that?"

"Well, I am not sure exactly. When I first fought in the military I thought our ruler was just a tyrant looking to kill off the young and weak. But he wanted to show other countries our power, and in time he became the most feared ruler that existed." She lowered her eyes and sighed. "We never wanted to live like this. There is too much bloodshed in our lives."

Naruto stopped walking and held her back. "You know Raven, your leader doesn't rule this village. Here, you don't have to follow him."

Raven looked at him and frowned. "I suppose. But just because I am here, does not mean I do not regret anything I have done."

Naruto smiled at her. They began walking again. After a few minutes he stopped in front of the academy. Raven looked up at it, then walked away. Naruto ran after her. They followed the wooden gate down the road to the village. They stopped when they heard a voice call out Naruto's name.

"Naruto! Naruto!"

The two turned to see Konohamaru and his two friends running full speed towards them. The three of them stopped short and hid behind Naruto.

"What are you three running from?" He asked, then sighed. "Who were you annoying this time?"

"Those two!" They said, pointing to two of the Sand ninja racing up to them.

The guy stopped, breathing hard. "Hey you brats!" He panted. "Get over here so I can beat you senseless!"

"Easy Kankuro," his sister smirked. "I don't want you to have all the fun without me."

"Of course Temari," Kankuro laughed. He rubbed his hands together. "So, which one shall we hurt first?" He looked to the three younger kids behind Naruto, then he noticed Raven. "Hey aren't you one of those foreign kids?"

Raven nodded. Temari leaned in closer to her brother and whispered, "They weren't kidding when they said she looked like a wild demon." Raven narrowed her eyes.

Kankuro hummed. "Right then. If you two don't mind, we have some brats to take care of." He took a step forward.

Naruto inched the younger three back. "Just try it."

The two siblings exchanged amused glances with each other. Temari removed the giant fan from her back and opened it. Kankuro lunged out and punched Naruto in the jaw. Before he could retaliate Raven stepped forward and caught Kankuro's arm. In the blink of an eye she twisted him and punched him in the stomach, sending him flying against the gate. His sister was gaping at him, and spread her fan. She waved it, sending a large gale of wind at the students, missing Raven completely as she jumped up to balance on the wooden gate. In what seemed like a heartbeat she appeared behind the Sand nin and sent a round-kick to her shoulder. She was sent flying into the gate beside her brother. They sat up rubbing the bumps on their heads.

"Aiyeeh! Run Kankuro!" Temari shouted as she saw Raven walking closer. The two siblings shot out of there in a hurry.

"We're not finished with you!" Kankuro stopped and shouted. "Just wait until we get Gaara to kick your ass!" He flinched and ran when the other ninja took a step forward.

Raven raised an eyebrow and turned back to Naruto. "What?" She asked when she saw them staring wide-eyed at her. "You never see a girl fight before?"

"Not like that!" Konohamaru exclaimed. "That was awesome! Hey Naruto, you got outdone by a girl!" He laughed.

Naruto only smiled and crossed his arms. "Strong, fast, cute," he commented. "You have some backbone."

Konohamaru nudged him in the ribs.

"What?" Naruto hissed.

"You said cute," Konohamaru said quietly.

"Yeah so?" He asked. Then he realized what he said and grinned nervously. "Oh. So what it's true."

Raven raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Naruto reached forward and hooked two fingers under her collar and pulled her closer. He laughed at the nervous look on her face.

The other three, taking the hint, began walking slowly away. "Yeah, we're just gonna go, do, something, uh, somewhere else. Ok bye!" They said and ran.

Naruto laughed and grabbed Raven's sweater. He removed his fingers from under her collar and pulled her closer until their faces were inches apart.

"You sure are frisky," Raven breathed.

"Well I do owe you for that," he replied. He pulled her closer until their lips met. She didn't know what to do. He felt her hand on his cheek and kissed deeper.

She pulled back, hands on his chest. "No," she muttered under her breath. "We shouldn't be doing this."

"Why not?" He asked, searching her face for an answer. "What are you afraid of?"

She shook her head. She cursed under her breath, in her own language he figured. "If the time comes that I must leave, I don't want to suffer anymore than I already am."

He tilted her head up and kissed her again. "You don't have to worry about that, cause you're not going anywhere." He smiled. "I'll make sure of that myself."

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**CHARACTERS I OWN: 1) Raven**


	4. Chapter 4

_The day was too short. The moon had already risen halfway. There was still so much to be done, and so little time remaining to do it. The night was quiet. No small creature scurried throughout the forest. The demons of the volcano were on the move. They were ready for battle, a fight to the death. They moved slowly but skillfully to their destination: the Village Hidden in the Mist. They arrived within no time at all. It was quiet; the guards lay in front of the gate, blood splayed over the ground surrounding their limp bodies. Three young figures stood over them. _

_"You've done well," the saber leader growled. "I've been watching your progress in this village. It seems you have the potential to earn the trust of others quickly." His eyes flashed red for a brief second, then returned to normal. The three in front of him looked up, their eyes glowing red, just the same as all the others but the lead saber. "Now, as you have done many times before, destroy this village and everyone in it!"_

_The sabers crept in the village gates, careful to stay hidden in the shadows. The three figures that had once been standing over the village guards were now in saber form. Unlike their kin, they ran out into the streetlights. They let out a ferocious screech that launched the sabers into battle. They ran from the shadows hastily, charging at any humans that came from the buildings. One set a building ablaze. The fire spread throughout the village, licking the tops of the kage's tower and the lookout towers. The screams of the civilians drove them further into the darkness, as the demons targeted each one and killed them. _

_"Remember your training!" The lead saber yowled from the top of the kage's tower. His gaze followed every saber's kill, until his eyes rested on one of the three he met at the gates. "What are you waiting for Hikari! Kill those insolent brats!"_

_He watched as she stood over two small children, waiting for the opportunity to strike out. Her eyes were no longer red, but their usual smooth grassy green. Two small children cowered in front of her, begging, pleading with her to spare them. A flash of lightning lit up the sky, followed by a loud thunder clap. Large drops of rain began to fall from the sky, quelling some of the wild fires. The lead sabertooth yowled again from the tower. As the drops of water ran down her face, Hikari's eyes looked from the other saber and back to the children. She raised her hand reluctantly, claws unsheathed, and struck hard across the boy's throat. He choked up blood while his sister watched in horror. The saberess struck out again, claws scraping the little girl's cheek bone and snapped her neck. _

_The lead saber's laugh rang out through the empty village. "Set the village ablaze once more, we are done here! Dead this village is now, for we are the supreme rulers of this country!"_

* * *

Raven woke with a start, gasping for air from the broken nightmare. Her comrades around her were still fast asleep; all except for Naruto. He was kneeling beside her, blue eyes flashing with concern.

"Are you ok?" He asked, putting his hand to her forehead. "Nightmare? You're a bit red."

She looked at him from the corner of her eye and tried to slow her breathing. "You can say that."

He moved his hand away, but said nothing, eyes searching her face for answers. The two of them were on a mission with a few other ninja their age to take down an S ranked outlaw. Their friends were in deep sleep; their breathing was slow and steady. Naruto had been the only one still awake, silently watching his new friend in an uneasy sleep. He had thought about waking her, but that probably would've been a bit rude.

"It's still early," he said. "Why don't you try to get more sleep."

She looked at him strangely. "No, thanks. And you? Do you not sleep?"

Naruto smiled at her and said, "I did, for a while at least. But I guess I just wasn't tired."

"Liar," she smirked.

"What?" He laughed. He couldn't avoid the amused look on her face. She shook her head and smiled. "Come on. You should at least try to sleep some more."

Her face paled. She looked away and mumbled, "Too many broken dreams."

"Can I ask what they're about?"

"Memories from my past." She sighed wearily. "Oh, Naruto, they cause so much pain." She hung her head in her hands.

He shifted a bit so that he was sitting next to her comfortably. "I know how you feel. I had a bad childhood too." He blinked, and looked down. "People hated me 'cause I was different. At that time I didn't know why, but when I did find out it was a bit too late. I didn't have any friends until I graduated from the academy not too long ago." He smiled sadly at her.

She looked up at him. "You were hated? Why?" She asked curiously.

"I'm a jinchuriki." Her eyes widened. He nodded. "To the Nine-Tailed Fox, Kyuubi. You know Raven, I can't be sure who's had the worst childhood between us. Maybe they're about the same, but I don't know." He laid his hand on hers, earning a confused look from her. "We share a lot of the same type of pain. Maybe that's why I'm so attracted to you."

She smiled at him. She kissed him quickly on the cheek, then said, "Sleep. Now. We have a mission we must complete in the morning."

"I just love your accent," he laughed, stretching and laying back. She looked up at the moon, before lying down next to him. She felt his arm around her waist and sighed, drifting into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

The sun had just risen over the trees when the small group of ninja had awoken from their slumber. They had decided to set off immediately to finish their mission.

"So Naruto." Kiba grinned and laid his hand on his friends shoulder playfully and lowered his voice. "You and Raven hittin' it off, eh?"

Naruto's face turned bright red. "W-What are you talking about?"

"I heard you two last night," his friend said. He laughed as Naruto blushed even deeper.

"Leave him alone Kiba," TenTen scolded from in front of them. She kept walking but sighed as she saw Kiba smile and stick his tongue out at her. She turned back to Raven and said, "Guys are so stupid."

She only laughed. After a few minutes of walking she stopped short and looked around cautiously. "Found him," she said quietly. She raced away, leaving the others to run after her. Her target fled into the depths of a dark cave.

"Quick after him!" TenTen shouted. The four ran into the cave in pursuit. The darkness soon swallowed them whole as they made their way deeper into the cavern. "Man, I can't see a thing."

"I can. My eyes have been trained to see in even the darkest places," Raven said. "Return to the entrance and wait there."

"Right!"

Once alone, Raven raced through the cave as if her life depended on it. She was alone, as far as she could tell. Their target had fled even deeper, sensing the leaf ninja couldn't see in the dark. She kept running, and after what seemed like forever, she finally caught up to the fugitive. He stopped short, and twisted around to try to slit her throat with a kunai.

'_He is not too smart,' _Raven thought to herself as she flipped backwards, kicking the kunai out of his hand. He pulled a sword from a sheathe clipped to his back and struck out, catching her across the arm. She hissed and ducked another swing, jabbing two fingers into the fugitives arm. His fingers locked around the hilt of the sword and he swung again, miscalculating the distance between the two. Catching the smooth side of the blade with her palm Raven snapped the metal in half with her other hand.

In the dark she saw his eyes widen as he fumbled in his pouch and staggered backwards. Growling once she let out a jet of black flame. She heard him cry out in pain as the fire scorched his flesh and the scent of melting skin tickled her nose.

* * *

"Sheesh, what's taking her so long?" Naruto asked, pacing back and forth impatiently.

"Why are so you worried?" Kiba grunted. "Dude, chill out man she'll be fine." Akamaru barked in agreement.

TenTen nodded. "Yeah, you said you've seen her fight before. If she's as good as you say she is there's nothing to fret over."

They heard muffled speech coming from the darkness. Out walked Raven, holding the fugitive still. His hands were tied behind his back, but that didn't hide the burn marks and the deep cuts on his arms or face. The trio looked at her in disbelief as she pushed him down on his knees in front of their eyes.

"Wow," they commented.

"Well," Kiba yawned. "Standing here won't complete this mission. Let's go pal," he said, pulling their target to his feet. He shouted in protest, trying to inch away from Raven.

TenTen laughed and scratched her head. "Damn what did you do to him?" She shook her head and ran after Kiba and Akamaru.

Raven and Naruto followed them more slowly. He held her hand in his and kept walking when she didn't protest. It had been a fair mission. They acquired their target within the required time given for the mission. He wasn't hard to catch; they were still wondering how he was an S-Ranked outlaw. After dumping him in the nearest village's prison, they raced back to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Naruto, TenTen and Kiba went to report to the hokage, but Raven was held back by her brothers.

"Getting comfortable?" Sasuke asked, his amber eyes laughing at her.

"Shut it," she growled.

Dave shook his head and pressed hard against her wound, earning him a punch in the gut. "Nope. But, the closer you get to him, more so will the people here trust us, so much as to bring us closer to our goal."

They wrapped their arms around her shoulders. She growled and said, "True, true. Just worry _he_ does not show too soon. It might ruin our plan."

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**CHARACTERS I OWN: 1) Raven**

**2) Dave**


	5. Chapter 5

_"Yes. . . They will do perfectly." The voice growled. _

___The saber circled the three younger ones, clearly impressed. They sat erect, ears flattened against their head, eyes narrowed almost angrily, their spikes showing through their ruffled black fur, long, sharp claws unsheathed and scraping the rock impatiently. Their long teeth were sharper than razor blades, and their eyes were a blood red. They sat unmoving as the lead saber stood in front of them. _

_"Impressive indeed," he growled. "None shall expect trouble from the young."_

_The oldest of the three growled. Her red bangs hung over her eyes, making her eyes seem to disappear. _

_"Now, what have you been born to do? What have you been trained for?" He hissed. _

_"To serve under your rule, to obey every and all commands. We live to serve you and only you, to devote our lives to the destruction of the human race and prosperity of the demons," the three young sabers growled all at once. _

_The lead saber chuckled darkly. "Hikari," he nodded to the saberess. "Daisuke," he nodded to her brother. "Yotama," he nodded to their younger brother. "You're first assignment: infiltrate the Village Hidden in the Mist. Earn the trust of the kage. Then, when all seems well and right, we attack!" He howled, lava flumes shooting up in response. _

* * *

Raven woke with a start, gasping for air, holding her neck as if she was being choked. Someone was at her side in a heartbeat, and it took all her self control not to strike out at them in panic. It was only Naruto. She had forgotten that she had stayed over his house that night. They both returned to the village late after completing their missions. Naruto suggested she stay over with him that night, seeing as how they were both asleep on their feet.

"Hey, hey. Easy," he soothed, rubbing her arm to calm her down. He put his hand to her forehead and sighed. She didn't have a fever, so that was a good sign. "Another nightmare?" He asked when he saw the horrified look on her face.

"I do not understand," she breathed.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"The nightmares," Raven whispered. "They get worse with each night I stay in this village." She looked at him. "I thank you for letting me stay here, but I must-"

He put his finger to her lips. "You're not leaving this apartment. At least not until this storm lets up. If you're not going to sleep come with me."

She followed him to his kitchen. She watched as he made them both a cup of tea, staring through him, trying to find his motives for this. He pulled out a chair for her. She sat and watched as he sat across from her. They drank their tea in silence, listening to the rain pound on the windows. She jumped at the sound of a large thunder clap. He laughed at her. Not thinking she hissed at him, then looked away, embarrassed.

He smiled and said, "Why is it every time I look at you I get the feeling that you're a. . ." He trailed off.

"A demon?" Raven finished, looking away. "Looks can be deceiving."

"Sure," he nodded. "But it just feels like you are for some reason."

"What would have you think that?"

"Well you're always so tense," he stated.

"So? Why should that-" she was cut off abruptly as he leaned over and kissed her. "Matter," she finished when he pulled back.

He laughed and said, "You need to relax, loosen up a little babe." He got up and stood behind her. She only blinked when he started to rub her shoulders. He made her lay her head down in her arms, and began massaging her shoulders, rubbing her back delicately.

He couldn't get very far. A knock on the door made him sigh and move away reluctantly. Raven followed him to the door. Opening it they saw Iruka, soaking wet from the rain. His face was red and his breathing was heavy.

"You two," he panted. "Come with me, please."

Raven and Naruto said nothing, but exchanged worried glances and followed Iruka to the hokages tower. All the rookies and sensei's were already there. The hokage appeared moments after.

"Please all of you listen up!" He shouted over the commotion. Once it was silent enough to hear a pin drop he continued. "The chuunin exams might have to be post-poned."

"Whaaaat?!" Sakura shouted. "But why?!"

"Patience, Sakura," Sarutobi said. "We have a bit of trouble brewing over near the borders of the Fire Country, and it's big enough to affect our village greatly."

"Well what would it be?" Gai shouted.

"Yeah just tell us so we can go home already!" Kakashi called from behind Sakura.

Raven tried to squeeze the water out of her hair. She moved to brush the droplets of water off her sweater. "I hate water," she whispered to Naruto when he turned to her.

The hokage continued. "As you all know already, those volcano demons have been acting strange lately. A few of the patrols have spotted them burning down parts of the thick woodland in the east."

The large crowd began murmuring to themselves. Raven felt the presence of her brothers beside her. She turned to them with a look of disbelief on her face.

"You don't think. . .?" Dave began.

Sasuke shook his head. "No, too early. Not now, but later."

"So we should hope," Raven whispered back.

Naruto looked at them through the corner of his eye, then turned his attention back to the hokage. "As soon as this storm let's up, all of us here will go and investigate." He dismissed them all and walked off to another part of the building.

"How troublesome, he called us here for something as small as this," Shikamaru grumbled to himself.

Naruto sighed and turned to Raven. "Shall we?" She nodded. Looking out into the storm, seeing it hasn't gotten any better, they bolted across the village to Naruto's apartment complex. He let them in and shivered. "If you want you can take that off and I'll give you something dry to wear," he said, looking at her soaken wet sweater.

She nodded, and he went into his room. She pulled the sweater over her head, which the blond took from her upon his return. Handing her one of his shirts he noticed, that regardless of the black tank top she wore under her sweater, it didn't hide how skinny she was. He smiled at her and led her to the couch, pushing her down and sitting next to her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. He nuzzled her neck affectionately. He planted kissed along her neck, laughing as she moaned lightly. He pushed her down into a laying position and crawled over her. His hand ran along her side and he kissed her again. He moved her head slightly to the side, trying to avoid her collar as he leaned in closer to her neck.

"Naruto," Raven whispered, hands gripping his shirt tightly.

He didn't seem to hear her, as he bit down hard on her neck, causing the smaller girl to gasp in shock. He licked away the blood from the wound and kissed the sore spot lightly. It all seemed to go fuzzy for Raven. She didn't know if it was from the wound she just received or the lack of sleep. She woke up a few hours later still in his embrace. The storm outside was still raging. There was a tap on the window. Raven walked over and opened it. Her brother sat on the windowsill. He was panting, and tapped his sister's cheek lightly.

"Talk we must, now," he panted.

Raven glanced briefly over at Naruto. Seeing he was still asleep she whispered, "Was it them?"

Dave nodded. "But here they won't be until we say, though Madara grows impatient." He looked into the apartment and saw Naruto on the couch. He turned to his older sibling with a smirk on his face. Pulling the shirt back a little he saw the bite mark on her neck. "Do not get carried away. You risk jeopardizing the mission."

She sighed. "Worry not brother. The mission will not fail."

Dave smiled and kissed her head. He disappeared in a shadowy haze. Raven smiled and closed the window. She turned and walked back to the living room and sat on the couch. She moved a few strands of hair out of Naruto's face and smiled sadly.

"Forgive me Naruto, for I have done you wrong." She looked away and swallowed the lump in her throat, not noticing him sit up next to her.

She shivered at his breath in her ear. "You couldn't do me wrong, Raven." He looked into her eyes. "What are you up to that you have to be so sneaky for?"

She lowered he eyes. "I-I can't tell you. For the sake of me and my brothers. Please," she breathed, "don't. . . don't. . ."

He tried to calm her down. He pulled her into a hug and started to rub her back in small circles. "Calm down," he whispered. He pulled her down next to him and hugged her waist. "Sleep."

She looked at him one more time, before drifting off peacefully in his arms.

* * *

The morning wasn't a quiet one. Outside it was still raining, but the wind had settled into a small breeze. The lightning lit up the sky, followed by thunder loud enough to shake apart a building. The hokage had still decided to go through with plan. As decided the night before, the rookies and their sensei's, along with the hokage, made their way along the border of the Fire Country. At first there was no sign of any living creature besides them. The rocks tumbled down from the cliffside above them. A flash of lightning lit up the face of the rock. While it lasted, a shadowy figure raced down the rocks and landed in front of the hokage. They stood glaring at each other for a moment, before the saber lifted his head and growled.

"Sarutobi," it said. "Long time no see."

"Madara," Sarutobi grunted. "It has been a long time."

He watched as Madara shifted forms, now standing before the hokage as a human. His eyes wandered over the crowd of ninja and chuckled as his eyes fell upon Raven and her siblings. "My ninja have served you well, I presume?"

Sarutobi looked between the saber and the three siblings. "So you _are _their leader. I should've known," he growled in a lower voice. "And that's confidential."

Madara purred darkly. "Oh surely they haven't been that bad." He looked back at Raven. Her arms were crossed. "Need I teach them right from wrong?" He chuckled when Raven narrowed her eyes.

Sarutobi grinded his teeth. "You touch them and I'll kill you where you stand."

He growled as Madara tapped Raven lightly on the cheek. "Dear niece, you haven't been listening to your hokage?"

Sarutobi was shocked. Even the ninja around them were horrified. "Niece?! T-Then that means. . ." He cut himself off.

The saber looked at him, a dark look in his eyes. "Aww they didn't tell you?" He grunted and turned his attention back to his niece and frowned. "I expected more from you three."

They only blinked at him. No one said a word. They just stood staring at them. Sarutobi sighed.

Madara glared at him. "You sought us out. Was there a reason for it?"

"We've seen your kind burning down the forest. We'd like you to stop."

'_You have no idea,' _Raven thought to herself.

Madara laughed. There was another flash of lightning. As soon as it faded he was in saber form again, and a large group of his followers stood behind him. "Sarutobi," Madara hissed. "We'll leave you in one piece this time, though the next time we meet will be the last. You three," he directed towards his kin, "had better not fail me." His eyes narrowed in a threatening way, before he turned and led the sabers into the shadows.

Raven let out her breath in a sigh of relief. Ino grabbed her shoulder roughly and turned her around to look her in the face. "You're one of them! No, all three of you are _demons_!"

Raven blinked, then nodded.

Ino's face turned red in anger. Shikamaru held her back. "Hold it Ino! What have they done wrong? They haven't tried to harm us."

"Yet," Kiba snorted.

"Shikamaru has a point, Kiba," Raven's sensei, Haito, said clearly. "They've done nothing wrong."

Chouji yawned and stretched out his arms above his head. "Personally it doesn't bother me. Having demon blood would be kinda cool."

Ino snorted. "Of course it doesn't bother you. All you ever do is eat. Don't you ever get tired of stuffing your face?! Maybe you should take up a hobby! Oh I know, like murdering innocent people for the hell of it! Then you would be classified as one of them!"

"Mean," Kiba said.

"I say we just get rid of them," Ino continued. "They've deceived us all; we don't need them here."

They all looked around at each other. The hokage shouted for silence. "No one is going anywhere! If anything we should be protecting them, not throwing them out of the village."

"Why should we have to protect them? They can look after themselves can't they? And from who?" Neji asked, annoyed.

"Madara," Kakashi replied. "He doesn't seem like the friendliest person around."

"That's because he's not a person! He's a demon!" Ino shouted.

"Oh will you drop it already! You're giving us all a headache Ino!" Sakura shouted from her place beside Naruto. He had stayed silent, staring at the ground.

Gai nodded. "The point is he's too dangerous, and he might just return looking for those three Uchiha's."

"And you know their last names how?" Kiba asked.

"Long story," Gai replied.

Sarutobi stepped forward. "Alright that's enough of this. We're done here so we might as well return to the village. You three as well," he said to the siblings.

One by one they turned and followed their hokage, glancing over at the demons before they left. Naruto stayed behind with Raven for a brief moment.

"At least, now you know, how my past had been so bloody," she whispered, not meeting his gaze.

He said nothing, just shook his head and followed his friends.

* * *

**CHARACTERS I OWN: 1) Raven**

**2) Dave**


	6. Chapter 6

The days that followed the encounter with Madara weren't that peaceful. Upon their return to the village on that day the news of the foreigners true identies spread like wild fire. The tension that hung in the air was enough to suffocate a person. But some villagers seemed fine to have demons walk through their village, while others, however, turned their backs completely. One of those people was Naruto. But that didn't last very long; demons can be very persistent.

"Naruto please!" Raven begged her friend, folling him through the halls of the academy. She slipped in front of him to make him stop. "Why will you not speak with me?"

He gave her a hard look. "You _lied _to me. How can i trust you when everything you ever told me was a lie?" She didn't answer him. He let out his breath in an impatient huff. "I knew you couldn't answer that."

She lowered her head and dropped her gaze. "Naruto, please," she whispered.

He clenched his fists and ground his teeth. "What? What could you possibly have to say now?" He almost shouted. "Don't you know how i feel about you? What do you have to say to me that would make this situation any better?"

Her eyes were rimmed in pain. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

"You're wasting my time," Naruto muttered, pushing his way past her. He continued to walk down the halls.

"I'm sorry Naruto," Raven whispered just loud enough for the boy to hear.

He stopped walking. "You should be." Realizing she had nothing more to say he sighed and walked off, feeling her eyes watching him as he left.

Stepping out in the sunlight gave Naruto a warm feeling. He stretched out his arms above his head and walked off. He thought about stopping to eat, but the previous days events left a hollow feeling in his chest. He just settled on returning home, but not before he ran into Iruka.

"Come on Naruto," the sensei said. "My treat."

Naruto sighed. "Alright." He followed the sensei to Ichirukas and and watched as Iruka ordered them both food. But he couldnt eat it. He played with his food until Iruka sighed and started bugging him.

"Ok Naruto what's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me."

"It's nothing Iruka." He forced a small smile.

Iruka didn't buy it. "It's that girl isn't it?"

Naruto looked away. "So what if it is."

Iruka let out a hearty laugh. "If you love her, tell her. Just don't let her go because of something like this."

"But Iruka," Naruto whined, "she lied to me! How can i still trust her?"

The sensei's smile turned into a frown. "In the years I've lived in this village there's one very important thing I've learned that I've never forgotten. Those Uchiha's, the demons of the volcano, are not to be taken lightly. When Madara took leadership he enforced divine rule. It isn't surprising that he forced those three to fight at such a young age. But seeing them here, doesnt it seem like theyre trying to live normal lives, instead of the one they were forced into?"

"I suppose," Naruto mumbled.

"Why dont you talk to her," Iruka continued.

"Thanks Iruka," Naruto sighed. He gave the sensei one last look of grief before walking the other way. Instead of taking the advice he went straight home.

Upon letting himself in, the silence and the dark shadows gave him an ominous feeling. The clock read 2:24. It was still pretty early. Closing the door he walked into his room, only to be tackled and pinned down on his own bed.

"Get off!" Naruto shouted. He shut up when his eyes met the grassy green gaze of Raven. Her face was completely emotionless. It was starting to scare him. "W-What do you want?"

A low growl sounded from the back of her throat as she tightened her grip on his wrists. "You wanted to learn of our motive for arriving here. As much as i will regret speaking of this, i will tell you."

"Will you let me up first?" He asked.

"Fine." She let go of his wrists and pulled him into a sitting position.

He rubbed his wrists painfully. "Why are you acting like this?"

"Spending your entire lifetime without the use of emotions. . . it grows on a person," she said. "But not here. Come. Something i want for you to see." She grabbed his arm and disappeared in a shadowy haze.

They reappeared far from the village in an empty field. There was no green anywhere within eyesight. The shrubs and dead grass had all been burned through, and the stench of burning wood hung in the air. Naruto looked around, realizing the hand on his arm had moved away, and turned to look at his companion. She had dropped her gaze, and there was now a sad look of pain in her eyes.

"If you listen carefully," Raven began, "still you can hear, the dying screams of those who have perished under our claws."

Naruto waited for her to continue. In his mind he did hear those screams, but they were faint and far out of his reach.

"Years into the past," the demon continued, "a large village stood its ground here. You can see what we are capable of just from this."

She was silent for a minute. She blinked and said, "Our mother was killed after birthing us and our father exiled. From the day of our birth, my brothers and i were forced to fight to the death. Unknown it was to us the reason, but, of course, being young we had no choice. We were raised as emotionless tools of war, Naruto. Our uncle rules with absolute power over us. He manipulates our bloodline to bend accordingly with his will. As such, we under his control to do whatsoever he commands."

Naruto was silent. His eyes were wide in shock. "Hasn't anyone tried to do something about him?"

Raven shook her head. "Those who oppose Madara's forces are slaughtered."

"But why is he like this?"

"When our kind first came to this world, kindness was something not to be sought out. The humans were not tolerant. Hunted down, we were, for our teeth and fur. Madara grew bitter, bent on revenge against all mankind. He had given us three a mission that was not to be failed." She looked away and swallowed. Blinking, she grabbed hold of his arm and phazed them both back to the village.

"Well?" Naruto insisted when he saw they were standing in the middle of the village streets. "What was it?"

She hesitated, then lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, Naruto."

* * *

**CHARACTERS I OWN: 1) Raven**


	7. Chapter 7

_"Well?" Naruto insisted when he saw they were standing in the middle of the village streets. "What was it?"_

_She hesitated, then lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, Naruto."_

Raven's words were cut off as she was abruptly tackled to the ground by her brother. Dave snatched her up and held his arm around her neck in a headlock. Sasuke gripped Naruto's shoulder roughly and grinned, showing off his large canines, and laughed. "Ahh, do not listen to her. She is just, uh, homesick."

Dave removed his arm from around his sisters head with a sharp retort Naruto couldn't understand. She narrowed her eyes and looked away sullenly. He pushed her along the path and away from their brother and Naruto. He waited until they were out of earshot before Naruto spoke up.

"What is going on with you guys? Why are you being so secretive and sneaky?"

Sasuke didn't answer. He narrowed his eyes, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and looked up at the darkening sky. "It is getting late." He turned back to Naruto, his face cold and emotionless. "You should be heading home now."

There was a subtle edge to his voice that made Naruto shudder. He didn't wait to be told twice; without turning his back he started back to his apartment, leaving Sasuke to stare off after him.

* * *

A few days had passed and Naruto had seen no sign of Raven. He saw little of her brothers too, and whenever he tried to catch them to ask of her whereabouts they always slipped away. It was getting on his last nerve. There was so much he had to say, so much he had to get off his chest.

But Raven was still gone, and as the days passed her brothers stopped showing less of themselves too.

It was the end of the week, and a depressed and lonely Naruto was close to giving up on finding his girlfriend. Coincidentally, it was the day of the written part of the Chuunin Exams. As the students filed into the room and took their seats, Naruto sat down with his head in his hands and sighed loudly. His friends around him exchanged worried looks and tried consoling him. They kept an eye out for the three siblings, but as the doors closed there was still no sign of them. The proctor would be there any minute!

The doors creaked open and the Uchiha siblings stepped in. They still had their wild look about them, and despite their week long absence looked tired and worn out, but their clothes had changed: now they wore armor-like vests, instead of their casual sweaters. Raven no longer wore her spiked collar, and all three had their arms, knuckles and legs covered in steel plating for protection.

The room was quiet as they took their seats. Naruto cringed from a glare as Dave took a seat beside him. There was a loud shout from the hall as the doors burst open again and the proctor barged in.

"All right kiddies, this is the first part of the Chuunin Exams." He stepped in front of the room and crossed his arms behind his back. "I am Ibiki Morino and I will be your first nemesis."

Papers were passed around as Ibiki continued his speech, but Naruto wasn't paying attention. His mind was focused on the girl sitting three rows away from him. He decided to turn and sneak a peek, and was glad he did when he caught her eye, and smiled at her. She gave a small smile as Ibiki slammed his palms down on the table in front of him, snapping him out of his daze. He swallowed as Ibiki glared down at him and started the test.

For three hours the test continued. Teams were eliminated one by one as the genin slipped and were caught cheating.

It was the end of the test. Ibiki declared that the remaining genin had passed the first of the exams. There was a poof and a cloud of smoke and a woman in fish net appeared wearing a smug look on her face.

"Listen up you baby-faced maggots," she roared. "My name is Anko Mitarashi and I will be the proctor of the second part of the Chuunin exams. You may have thought part one was difficult, just wait until you get out into the Forty Fourth Battle Zone, otherwise know as the Forest of Death! You have a month to prepare for part two, so learn some new tricks, strengthen yourselves, because by the time I'm through with you you'll wish you were back here!"

The sweating Ibiki behind her cleared his throat and dismissed the remaining genin. As they filed out of the room the flash of colored hair from the Uchiha siblings caught Anko's eye. She waited until the room was clear save for the Chuunin.

"Were those. . .?"

"Uchiha's?" Ibiki suggested.

Anko nodded. "You don't think there's more to them being here just for the exams, do you?"

Ibiki started collecting the test papers. "That isn't for us to say. The Hokage seems to trust them, so we should too."

* * *

Outside the Academy his classmates struggled to catch up with him as he ran after the fleeing siblings. He got as far as Konoha's gates before losing sight. Defeated, Naruto turned back to his friends. He wasn't in any mood to socialize but he didn't want to be alone either. He kept to himself, leaning against the wooden gate with his eyes fixed on the floor. It was only once he looked up that he noticed Shino staring at him, brows furrowed and arms crossed.

They stared at each other for a while before Shino walked over and finally spoke up. "You miss her don't you."

The blond sighed and looked away. "Yeah."

Shino's face showed no expression, but his voice was low and sympathetic. "Would you like to see her?"

Naruto's eyes brightened as he looked at the bug nin. "When?"

"Tonight. At the Memorial Stone. When the moon is up." He said no more and left Naruto alone.

The remainder of the day Naruto spent his time trying to cheer himself up. By the time the moon rose his nervousness and excitement were gnawing at his chest. He combed his hair and walked as calmly as he could through the village, waving to the shinobi at the gate and proceeding to sprint the rest of the way to the Memorial Stone.

The clearing was empty, but he felt another persons presence near him. Taking a few steps he heard voices in the trees. They were quiet whispers, and stepping closer he recognized the heavy accent of the girl, and the bug nin Shino. He had her by the shirt and was growling under his breath to her in her tongue. She shouted obscenities in his face before he pushed her against the nearest tree and held her their roughly.

"Shino!"

He didn't jump or turn around. He merely ground his teeth and let the small girl go. He huffed angrily and stepped back away from her. Naruto shoved him away and embraced his friend tightly. She hugged back just as tight and whispered a few words into his chest. Naruto turned back to see if the bug nin was still there. He wasn't in sight.

Naruto sighed. "Raven, I missed you. I'm so sorry about everything."

She shook her head, not meeting his eyes. "It is fine Naruto. I am sorry as well."

He rubbed her cheek gently and pulled her closer until their lips touched, waiting as she deepened the kiss to wrap his arms around her and pull her in closer. She sighed and melted in his arms. "Naruto. . ."

Naruto hushed her and kissed her head. "Stop."

She nodded and lay her head on his chest, whispering a few words he didn't understand. "I. . . I-I'm so sorry Naruto. . ."

He stood confused as her claws pierced through the clothes on his back. "R-Raven."

There was a loud growl to his right. "Naruto get down!" He looked over in time to see Shino rip him from the girl's grasp and tackle him to the ground.

Her eyes glowed a bright blood red, her fangs and claws had grown out longer, and she yowled in rage at the boys on the ground.

Naruto shouted. "Ack Shino! What the hell is going on?!"

His words were cut off as claws pierced his flesh. He cried out in pain as his arms and legs were tied painfully to his body and gagged with a thick cloth. He was left to watch as his girlfriend wrestled to get Shino down and tie him to Naruto. She gagged him as well and stood heaving before them, growling viciously. Naruto looked up at her, pain and confusion rimmed in his eyes, screaming out muffled words that she paid no heed to. A taller man loomed over from behind them, chuckling to himself. His eyes also blazed red they noticed, as he stepped to the demon girls side.

There was a shout from the clearing and instantly the two dropped to one knee in a bow, eyes closed. He shouted out a few words and the two stood and pulled the two boys to their feet and pushed them into the clearing. Shino growled and started breathing heavily behind his gag, glaring at the man Naruto recognized as the Uchiha's uncle, Madara.

"Well well well, what do we have here," he chuckled heavily. He crossed his arms behind his back. "Get them out of my sight and do not let them get away."

There was a growl in agreement as Madara's eyes flashed red for a split second. Raven's grip on the boys tightened and they grumbled in pain as she wrenched them away, Madara watching them with resentment.

"Let us begin."


End file.
